STATEMENT BY THE MINISTER OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS IN LOK SABHA
ON AUGUST 9, 1971, REGARDING THE REPORTED STATEMENT BY
PRESIDENT YAHYA KHAN OF PAKISTAN THAT SHEIKH MUJIBUR
RAHMAN MAY BE EXECUTED

 

Government view with grave concern press reports of President Yahya Khan's statement that Sheikh Mujibur Rahman would be "court martialled" and that he could not say whether or not the Sheikh would be alive when the socalled Pakistan National Assembly meets. President Yahya Khan himself had, in one of his earlier statements, referred to Sheikh Mujibur Rahman as "the future Prime Minister of Pakistan". As the leader of the Awami League Party which won 167 of the 169 seats to the National Assembly from Bangla Desh and thus had a clear majority of votes in the National Assembly of Pakistan, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman held a unique position as the acknowledged leader not only of East Pakistan, but of the whole of Pakistan. What happened after the 25th of March this year is known to the whole world. The denial of the verdict of the people and letting loose of military opp­ression and trampling on the fundamental human rights of the people of Bangla Desh stand self-condemned. Instead of respecting the verdict of the people and acknow­ledging Sheikh Mujibur Rahman as the elected and undisputed leader of Bangla Desh. the Pakistan Government has launched a reign of terror and carried out a calculated plan of genocide, the like of which has not been seen in recent times. To stage a farcical trial against Sheikh Mujibur Rahman is a gross violation of human rights and deserves to be condemned by the whole world.

 

We have repeatedly expressed concern for the safety and welfare of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and his family who are under house arrest or in prison. We have conveyed our concern to foreign governments and asked them to exercise their influence on the Government of Pakistan in this regard. Should any harm be caused to the person of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman or his family and colleagues, the present situation in Bangla Desh will be immeasurably aggravated and the present Pakistani rulers will be solely responsible for the consequences. We share the concern expressed by about 500 Members of Parliament in this regard. We appeal to the conscience of humanity to raise their voice against the action that the President of Pakistan proposes to take. We express our condemnation of the proposed action and warn the Government of Pakistan of its serious consequences.

 

 

 

Source: The Bangladesh Documents, vol – 1, page no – 711-712